RALEIGH, N.C. – Dan Forest shared stories from childhood, growing up in the Charlotte area, and his passion for playing sports.  

His parents divorced when he was young, but he says he learned lessons from both them that he still turns to today.

“My parents instilled patriotism, loved America, loved God,” he says. “My faith was kind of born at that time, although my wife and I both became Christians later in life, almost 30 when that happened. But grew up going to church, so strong moral background.”

When Forest was a young man, he met his now wife, Alice. They have been married for nearly three decades and have raised four children together. They say, much as they took lessons from their parents, they are proud of the lessons they have passed on to their children.

“What does it mean to be a true follower of Jesus Christ in the world look like? Especially as the world gets crazier, especially for young people. What does that mean? What does that look like? How do you reach out to people around you? One of the greatest blessings is watching our kids reach out to the kids that were just kind of sitting on the sidelines by themselves, and no one was really talking to them," says Forest. "It happened with every single one of our kids, and then those kids would become part of the pack. And if there is any great joy in watching our kids as they grow, they all had that characteristic.”

For Alice, Forest has been a wonderful father and while he told her he was certain he didn't want to go into politics, she knew that he had what it took to be a good leader.

“I think he's a visionary. He's a leader," says Alice. “He can see things and sense things before I can, wanting to trust, and to respect, and to just really believe in him when he sees something. I am thankful because he uses his voice on behalf of those of us who really don't want to use our voice.”

Watch the link above to learn more about what has made Forest the man he is today.

Forest is seeking his first term as governor. He is a Republican.